March 21, 1952: The day Kwame Nkrumah became first Prime Minister of Gold Coast

Exactly 70 years ago, Ghana’s first president, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, became the first prime minister of the then Gold Coast.

Before he became prime minister, Dr Nkrumah, was the Leader of the Government Business of the new Legislative Assembly.

The assembly met on February 20, 1951, because his party, the Convention People’s Party (CPP), won the 1951 elections and he was asked to form a government by the Governor, Sir Charles Arden-Clarke.

In March 1952, the constitution of the Gold Coast was amended to provide for a Prime Minister who would be elected by the Legislative Council.

Dr Nkrumah became prime minister after winning the election by 45 votes to 31 with 8 abstentions, offsetting the challenge of candidates from the Gold Coast Colony, Ashanti Colony, Trans-Volta Togoland and the Northern Territories.

Read the full story originally published on March 21, 2021 by ghanaianmuseum.com

Today in history, on 21 March 1952, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah became the first prime minister of the Gold Coast (Now Ghana).

Kwame Nkrumah was released from Prison on February 12, 1951 and was summoned by Sir Charles Arden-Clarke, the Governor, and asked to form a government on 13 February after his party, the Convention People’s Party (CPP), won the 1951 elections.

The new Legislative Assembly met on 20 February 1951, with Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah as Leader of Government Business, and E.C. Quist as President of the Assembly.

A year later, the constitution was amended to provide for a Prime Minister on 10 March 1952.

On March 21st 1952, Kwame Nkrumah was elected by secret ballot to the Legislative Council after winning by 45 votes to 31 with 8 absentions.

Nkrumah requested for independence within the Commonwealth. He went to Parliament to lay before it his Motion of Destiny.

At the time, his challenges included holding together the fractious and incongruous 4 territories which were juxtaposed in proximity and propinquity, namely the Gold Coast Colony, Ashanti Colony, Trans-Volta Togoland and the Northern Territories.

It would be five more years before full independence was realized, and the Gold Coast became the self-governed nation of Ghana.

At 12 noon on 6 March 1957, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah declared Ghana independent.